Meet our newest teammate, Malachi. He’s joining the team as the Government & Community Relations Coordinator. Malachi will be working on building strategies focused around the entrepreneurial ecosystem and be our point person for government affairs. Be sure to welcome Malachi at 1 Million Cups, at the Prairie Den, or at any Emerging Prairie event!

Hometown: Lawton, IA

Why are you in Fargo?

When my fiance and I were looking at places to live after grad school, she suggested that we look at Fargo. I thought she was crazy, until she convinced me to visit the Fargo street fair and farmer’s market. After seeing how awesome Fargo’s downtown was and how the city is constantly growing and welcoming people from all backgrounds from around the world, I was convinced that Fargo would actually be a great place to live. A few months later, we packed up a moving truck and were on the road to our new home in the Red River Valley!

What do you do in your free time?

I love to read books about politics and government, as well as play video games and explore North Dakota with my fiance, Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn and I are currently working on a couples’ travel blog about towns to visit in the state which will hopefully go live soon!

I’m not exactly sure if hidden is the right word, but I absolutely love the back porch and seating area at No Bull! The restaurant was among the first I ate at in Fargo and I’ve fallen deeply in love with their chicken sandwiches! Another cool gem I’ve discovered in Fargo is Roberts Alley. I’ve only seen pedestrian-only alleys in larger cities like Denver before, so the fact that Fargo has one and it just happens to be home to my favorite ice cream shop of Scoop N Dough Candy Co. is definitely a plus!

How did you first hear of Emerging Prairie?

After deciding that Fargo would be a good place to move to, I was looking for places to intern at for my master’s degree, and saw Emerging Prairie mentioned in numerous news stories about economic development in the area. I found Greg’s email and sent him an email asking if Emerging Prairie had room for another person for the summer. Within 24 hours he called me and within two weeks from the that call, I had accepted an internship at Emerging Prairie! Now I’m fully employed, so it all worked out wonderfully!

As a new member of the EP team, what are you most looking forward to?

I’m very excited to be working with a great team to advocate for entrepreneurs and public policy which advances innovation and collaboration in North Dakota. The Midwest has some of the hardest-working and most innovative people in the country. Within the next 50 years, the region has the potential to become a world-leader in advanced technologies which will help solve some of the most pressing issues of our time. Emerging Prairie is at the forefront of helping the region recognize and activate this potential, and I’m honored to play a role it its mission of drastically improving the human condition.